With over 10 years of experience as an assistant manager in the Premier League, Scunthorpe United assistant manager Neil McDonald joined the club with an impressive resume.

Having spent time with Carlisle United (2006-07) and Blackpool (2015-16), the 52-year-old has been the understudy to Sam Allardyce at Bolton Wanderers, as well as being at Blackburn Rovers and most recently West Ham United.

In May 2017, McDonald decided to take a head coaching role at Limerick in the League of Ireland Premier League. However, after just one season with the Irish outfit, McDonald received an oppourtunity to return to England, and join Graham Alexander’s backroom staff at Scunthorpe United – and he knew quickly it was something he wanted to be a part of.

“I was over in Ireland with Limerick Football Club and enjoyed my time there. But when I was offered the opportunity to come to Scunthorpe United with Graham Alexander, it was something I wanted to be a part of,” he told the Telegraph.

Read More

“I saw the team play numerous times before I was joined and I was really impressed. I spoke to Graham after he lost his number two (Chris Lucketti), and now I have come in now to fill that gap to help this football club.

“Hopefully I can complement everything that he’s doing with the players as well as all the staff here. They’ve done a fantastic job all season before I joined and have been performing at a good level.

“My main aim is to come in, carry on the great work that has been done here and help Graham and the club get to where they want to get to.”

The club announced that McDonald had joined on January 4; two days after the Iron had defeated Bury, then managed by Chris Lucketti, courtesy of a late Charlie Goode goal.

Since then United went on a four-game streak without a victory. However, that streak ended this past Saturday, when the Iron defeated Fleetwood Town in a five-goal thriller – a game which Scunthorpe could have comfortably scored five or six goals themselves.

Read More

McDonald stated that whilst he was happy with the Iron’s attacking display against the Cod Army, stating it was the best he has seen from United since he has joined the club, he still believes that there is much more to come from this Scunthorpe United side going forward.

“The attacking display was great, it was by far the best I have seen since I joined the club," he said.

“We found the men in the space, delivered inside the box, found the runners inside the box and got plenty of people in there, creating lots of chances. We probably should have scored more, but we didn’t.

“But we scored three goals, which was excellent – even though we know we can be more clinical.

“If we keep playing the way we want to play, attacking football and on the front foot, we will keep create the chances. When those chances come, we have to stick them in the back of the net.”